JAJPUR: Three of a family including a child were killed after their motorcycle collided head-on with an ambulance on NH-16 near Neulpur within Dharmasala police limits here on Friday. The deceased were identified as Sankar Sahoo (49), his wife Mamina (43) and their 5-year-old daughter Sampurna. The family belonged to Bidanasi in Cuttack.
Police said Sankar was heading towards Panikoili from Cuttack on a motorcycle along with his wife and daughter when a private ambulance coming from the opposite direction hit the two-wheeler, killing all three on the spot. There were no patients in the ambulance and the driver of the emergency vehicle absconded after the mishap.
As the news of the accident spread, irate locals gathered at the spot and vandalised the ambulance. Eyewitnesses blamed Dillip Buildcon Limited (DBL), the agency carrying out the six-laning of Chandikhole-Bhadrak section of the NH-16.
“The stretch where the accident took place is being repaired for the last two and a half years. NHAI contractor DBL has closed one side of the NH since the last several months. While vehicles are forced to ply on one portion of the road, the contractor agency has neither put up any signage near the diversion nor deployed its staff to manage the traffic,” said Narayan, an eyewitness.On being informed, Dharmasala police rushed to the spot and pacified the agitators. Further investigation is on.